St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-12-04

vast amount of
water which is thrown on the fire by
the tiremen. The loss is abOnt the same
in each case, only there is one adj
vantage when the store and contents
are entirely destroyed: There are not
huge piles of soaked goods to pick over
and spread out to dry, and the insur-
ance men cannot claim that there was
no damage done. The last four or five
fires in Minneapolis have demonstrated
the fact that more damage is really done
by water than by fire. This does not
reflect on the fire department at all, but
shows most conclusively that the de-
partment can put out fire i'll short Or
der. But the fact remains that many
hundreds of thousands of dollars are
annually destroyed by the water which
is poured into the buildings, and people
are becoming somewhat
WEARY OF 1T.
Attempt after attempt has been made
to organize salvage company IN this
city, but so far none of the endeavOrS
have been successful. Take the fire at
the Big Boston store recently. The fire
started in an upper story, but the flames
did not reach to the three lower stories.
Yet all the goods there were badly dam
aged-by water. Such was the case at
the Hoffiin block fire, and also at the
fire on NicOllet avenue, between Fourth
and Fifth streets, few days ago. Had
there been a salvage company IN the
city not collars w Orth of goods on the
ground floor in any OF the stores would
have been destroyed. The fire inSur
ance companies are awaking to the fact
that there is but little protection from
water. and their rates are high in con-
sequence. Local agents just now are
greatly interested in the work of
A COMMITTEE OF TWELVE
appointed by the New York Tariff asso-
citation to carry out the recommended
ton adopted at a recent meeting rea-
tive to projected risks. The fact, says
the New York Spectator, an insurance
journal. that the stock companies are
prepared to make arrangements for car
rying on an active competition with the
mutualS for the insuring of protected
risks is regarded as step i'll the right
direction. One of the questions that is
raised is as to what extent the large
merchants in New York will adopt
automatic sprinklers and other prOtec
tive devices that may be suggested by
the committee. Some of these property
owners have refused to thus equip their
companies, for the reason that they are
quite as much afraid of damage by
water as of damage by fire. A few years
ago a gentleman patented device thor
Oughly covering any amount of goods in
either wholesale or retail store, how
ever they might be displayed, whether
on shelves along the walls or upon tables
throughout the building. His plan was
to conceal under
AN ORNAMENTAL CORNICE
at the top of the shelving waterproof
curtain mounted on roller, which could
be pulled down over the goods upon the
shelves and fastened very quickly when
ever occasion required, thus offering
perfect protection to the concealed goods
from water and dust. A similar cover
was provided for the tables, to be placed
at one end, so that it could be pulled out
with very little trouble, and cover all
the goods upon such table. AS a mere
matter of protecting the goods from dust
and dirt, the device was an admirable
thousands of dollars now lost from shop
wear, it would be invaluable as means
of preventing water damage in case of
fire. The inventor was w. NJ. Bracket,
eX-chief of the fire department of Min
neapolis. No one ever heard of this de-
vice being adopted, and presumably the
inventor met with very little encourage
ment for the reason that insurance COM
panieS were not at the time in the habit
of allowing reductions in rates for i'm
provements of the risk. In connection
with the plan now proposed for
IMPROVING RISKS
in the interests of the stock companies,
this device might well command the at
tention of prOperty-OwnerS and fire un-
derwriters. A stock thoroughly COW
cred over with waterproof coverings
can suffer little damage in case of fire.
The introduction of automatic sprink-
lers for the protection of ordinary COM
mercial risks is an experiment that re-
QuireS to be entered upon with great
deal of caution. AS ordinarily ar
ranged, these sprinklers turn on food
of water automatically, but no means
have yet been discovered for shutting
them off automatically when they have
performed the duty required OF them.
As consequence. the sprinklerS are
liable to go on deluging a room or
building after the fire has been eX-
tinguiShed. Such an occurrence in
large wholesale dry goods establish
ment, for instance, or in a storage ware
house, might occasion vastly more dam
age than the flames would have done.
Every automatic sprinkler should be
connected with firm alarm to notify
the fire department, and also to rouse
the Waterman in charge of the building,
SO that human intelligence might be at
hand to suppress the flow Of water at
the proper time. 1t will doubtless be
found polite in most instances to shut
off the sprinklers Immediately upon the